


The Secret of a Lost Boy

by Xira



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Season 3 AU, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 11:26:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2849240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xira/pseuds/Xira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Darling failed at a mission Peter Pan gave him, and the boy's shadow left him to die at sea as a punishment. However, he is rescued by Captain Killian Jones, who came in Neverland to find what he needs to kill the Dark One, and John can't keep himself from falling for the mysterious and handsome pirate. But despite what both of them think, Peter Pan is aware that John is still living, and he isn't done using him yet.</p>
<p>Spoilers for season 3</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Secret of a Lost Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,  
> this is my first work for this fandom, I decided to write it after seeing episodes 8 to 10 of season 3, but there might be spoilers for the following episodes of the season 3 too.  
> I know this pairing is nonexistent, but like John and Killian are part of the same original fairytale, I thought that they could have met at some point.  
> Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this :)

The first time John and Killian met, John was coming back to Neverland after doing a mission for Peter Pan. Well, after failing at the mission Pan had given him would have been more appropriate, and it was useless to say that he was now terrified, because he knew Pan would make him pay for that. 

He was never pleased with failures, John knew it well by now. And as if the boy's shadow had already learned about it, it had let him fall in the middle of the ocean near the island, with nothing he could hold on in sight.

The sea was never calm in Neverland, and he kept trying desperately to reach the surface to breath and to swim towards the shore. Not because he wanted to live, life as Pan's slave wasn't worth it, but because he needed to be there to watch over Wendy and Michael, because he was responsible of them, had been since they left London together for that cursed island.

He needed to be there for them. After all, he was the oldest now. He knew they only had each other now, because their old life was long gone, time had kept going on without them, and all the people who had once meant something for them were long dead. 

Thinking about it hurt, everything linked to Neverland hurt. He didn't even know why he was thinking about all that, when he was struggling to survive, and should have been busy trying not to drown. Maybe it had to be with seeing your life pass by just before dying, or something like that.

The worse had been to see that they had given up on all they had for nothing, because the boy they had wanted to save, Baelfire, was already gone, as he had found a way to escape. When he had learned it, John had felt guilty for letting Wendy convince him to go to Neverland to save him. He felt responsible for what had happened to his family. 

Sometimes, deep in his heart, even if he tried to fight about it, he was angry at her, because it was because of her that this whole mess began, because she decided to follow that Shadow, even though Baelfire had told her no to.

But she was young, both of them were young back then, and he knew he shouldn't blame her for a mistake she had made when she was still naive. John missed the time when he was just an innocent child. All this had been taken too quickly away from him.

He felt more and more cold, and it was getting harder for him to find enough strength to get out of the water to breath. Every muscle in his body hurt, making it so much harder to keep fighting. He wanted to cry, because he couldn't believe that his life would end like this.

Even if it had been so much longer than it should have been because of Neverland, he still felt as if all the time he should have had had been ripped away from him. All the dreams he had had as a child were long gone now. His life could be resumed in one sentence: he had to obey Peter's orders, to do his biding.

He was beginning to ask himself why he was still fighting, when it hurt so much. If Pan wanted him dead, then it was pointless, because everyone knew that Peter Pan always got what he wanted. He felt water enter his lungs, and his vision began to become dark.

He had a last though for Michael and Wendy, thinking about how the news of his death would hurt them, if Pan decided to tell them what had happened to him. His last thing that crossed his mind was that life was cruel, because they had already endured too much.

He closed his eyes, and just before he lost consciousness, he heard someone shouting “Man overboard!”, but he couldn't get the meanings of the words before everything became black.

 

When he woke up, his senses told him too much things for him to understand what was happening quickly enough. He was freezing, his soaked clothes sticking to his body, the cold wind biting his skin sharply. The ground was hard against his back, and he was being hold against it by hands pushing hard on his chest, so hard it hurt.

And then, maybe the most confusing of it all, he felt lips against his own, a beard brushing against his cheeks, someone else's breath in his throat. But before he could figure anything out, John's body shook violently and he began spitting up water.

It hurt his throat, but at the same time his chest felt lighter, and he realized that he hadn't been able to breathe before. His glasses were gone, so he almost couldn't see a thing, everything was now vague shapes and colors for him. However, he could tell that he was on a ship from the way the floor moved, and finally, he understood that he had been saved from drowning.

-Welcome back, lad. Someone told him, his voice was so close to John that it had to be the man who had saved his life. He tried to stare at him to see how is savior looked, but it was no use. Without his glasses, everything was nothing more than a blur.

-Don't move. I think you'll need that. The other man said, and before John could ask him what he was talking about, the man had put his glasses back in their place. John blinked a time or two, until his vision adjusted itself again. 

By now, he could see the man quite well, every detail of his leather clothes, every shade of his blue eyes, just how wicked his smile was. He couldn't help but blush when his eyes stopped on the man's lips, those lips that had been on his own not so long ago, bringing him back to life.

He knew that it had been necessary to save him, that he had only used CPR, but it didn't change the fact that John came from a time when kissing another man wasn't something you were allowed to do, and even if he left Neverland a few times since then on Pan's orders and discovered that it had become something a little more acceptable, it didn't help him to change his mind on what had just happened. 

Despite what his reason told him, he couldn't help but think that the situation was highly inappropriate. Mostly because he believed that he should be disgusted by the single idea of having a man's lips against his own, and yet he wasn't. Maybe he had spent too many times with the twisted people that the Lost Boys were.

-Thank you for saving me. He managed to say, despite how sore his throat was. He still had a salty taste in his mouth, and he began coughing hard and shivering, his body still weak from struggling in vain against the ocean. He saw that the whole crew was looking at him like if he was something curious, and it made him want to run away. Which was stupid, because there were nowhere he could go.

-Go back to your stations, the ship won't sail itself alone! The man who had saved him shouted, making it obvious that he was the captain. It's only when the man helped him to stand again that he realized that one of his hands was missing, and that a hook was in its place. 

It made him froze for a moment, understanding who this man was. Captain Hook, a pirate. He had heard Peter Pan talking about him, but like always with him, it was hard to know what was true and what wasn't. The only thing that John could say at the moment was that the man really looked impressive.

-Come with me. You need to put on some dry clothes. My names is Killian Jones, but most people know me as captain Hook. It's not that hard to understand why. He said, smirking, and John shivered again, but not because of the cold this time.

-I'm John Darling. He replied

-Darling? Well, that's quite an inspiring name, isn’t it? Anyway, what's an adult like you doing in Neverland? I know that I'm not one to talk, but I thought there were only children out there, except for my crew and I. He explained.

-You're right. I first came here as a child. I-I work for Peter Pan. Well, worked, because I believe he tried to kill me earlier, or at least his shadow did. He let out, even if he knew that telling him that might just convince the pirate to throw him in the sea again. Peter Pan wasn't really someone people wanted to deal with. He would understand Hook if he forced him to leave the ship.

-I hope you're not lying to me, I don't like it when people take me for a fool. You see, you don't look like a lost boy. You don't seem to be cruel or threatening enough to be one. You look too innocent. Broken, too, but not in the way they are. And most of all, you're afraid of me, and Pan's boys never are. The taller man said, and before he could react, the pointed part of his hook was touching John's throat, threatening him. Even if he had saved his life, it made no doubt that he could take it back just as easily.

John didn't dare to move, afraid that it wouldn't bother this man to kill him right here and right there if he wanted to. It didn't help his heart, which had been beating too fast since he almost drowned, to calm down. John could only pray that he would see that he was telling the truth.

-You're right, I'm not really a lost boy. Well, not the usual kind, at least. I only work for Pan because my sister is his prisoner. He needs someone who is grown up to do his bidding outside of Neverland. He explained.

He wasn't sure that telling him all that was such a great idea, it could anger Peter Pan if he learned John had told the pirate all that, but he was too cold and too tired to think of a credible lie, and he had the feeling that telling the truth was the only way for him to get off of this ship alive.

-To save your sister, huh? That's touching, really, though knowing him, nothing good will come out of this. You can't trust Peter Pan. I don't want to deceive you, but I doubt he'll ever let her go. The man said, his voice harsher than before, his eyes not looking at John anymore, as if he was lost in some long passed by memory.

However, John could still feel the cold kiss of metal against his skin. He remembered what Hook had said; he was right, John was afraid of him, but there was no way he could be worse than Peter Pan himself. And the man had saved him from death, so he should show him some reconnaissance, even if he impressed him.

-Well, at least what you say make sense, even if you look way too innocent to survive in this land. Welcome to the Jolly Roger, John Darling. The pirate told him, putting his hook away, which was a huge relief for John. 

He opened a door, letting John step inside his cabin. It felt good, not having the wind blowing around him and making him even more colder than he already was. There wasn't a lot of things in the cabin, just a bed, a table and a wardrobe, but John knew what pirates were capable of, and that the captain surely had objects of value hidden somewhere.

There were golden sculptures of mermaids on the walls, and John was sure that it was made of actual gold. Windows gave a view of the back of the ship and of the raging sea that had almost killed John. Just below it, there were old books, worn out by time. 

All of this was so different from the landscapes John was used to see in the real world or in Neverland. He remembered with nostalgia the time where pirates were only parts of the stories his mother told him before sending him to bed.

-I'm going to lend you some clothes. I don't think it will be your style, but it's better than freezing to death, right? The man said while taking said clothes out of his wardrobe, putting it on the bed.

John wasn't comfortable with changing clothes in front of a stranger either, but knew that it was better for his own sake not to contrary Captain Jones. So he did it silently, keeping himself from protesting when he felt the pirate's eyes linger on his body.

-You didn't have to fight a lot in your life, didn't you? He asked.

John's skin was unspoiled, contrary to most of the Lost Boys, whose bodies were often covered in scars. It surprised Hook, but also made him wonder why Peter Pan had decided to leave the boy unscathed, because Pan always did those kinds of things on purpose, because it served him and his plans. He had never seen him helping someone if it didn't served him too.

-Once again, I can't say you're wrong. Outside of Neverland, things get resolved more often by talking than by fighting. John explained, having a hard time to unbutton the last buttons of his shirt, his fingers almost senseless because of how cold they were.

-You've never been to the Enchanted Forest, then. I can assure you that there, fighting isn't that rare. If you want a prove of that, my Hook is one. Here, let me help you or you'll never get it done. He said, and John did as he was told, letting the pirate help him to get rid of his shirt. He was surprised by how quickly he did it, despite having only one hand. 

He took John's shirt away, completely revealing his torso. Instead of letting him get dressed, he kept staring at John's chest, watching how it moved each time the boy breathed. He made his hook run on the boy's side, and the breathing suddenly stopped as John looked at him with shock.

-Not even a single scar, that's impressive. I don't know why Peter Pan is keeping you for, but you must be very precious to him. Hook told him, and John wondered if he was really speaking to him, or only to himself.

However, having the taller man touching him and staring at him like that definitely wasn't alright with him and made him way too embarrassed. He was about to complain, no matter if it made Captain Hook mad at him, but before he could do that, the man took a step back laughing.

-Don't look at me like that, I don't bite, I swear. I'm a pirate, so it's only normal that I like pretty things, don't you think, Darling? The captain said, smirking, and it was enough to make John blush again, his skin too pale for the pirate not too notice it.

-Don't use my name like that. John groaned, looking away.

He finished undressing as fast as he could to finally put on the clothes the other man had given him. They fit him well, even if it was the kind of clothes he would have never worn in other circumstances. 

At least, they kept him warm, and it was all that mattered. It almost felt as if life was slowly coming back to his body. However, it didn't keep him from wrapping his arms himself, trying to get warmth from friction. Despite the tropical weather of Neverland, nights could be quite cold.

-You can sit on the bed so we can have a little talk together. What did you do, to make Peter so mad at you? I mean, he's the worse person I've ever met, but usually, he doesn't try to make people drown without a good reason. Hook pointed out, that annoying smile that made John feel uneasy still on his face.

-In fact, Peter Pan did sent me to that Enchanted Forest you were talking about earlier, though I didn't have to fight. He wanted information on the heart of the truest believer, or something like that. He didn't really tell me more. It was supposed to be in an old grimoire. But things turned out wrong, and it was destroyed. It had to be very important for him, obviously, seeing how he decided to punish me. John explained as he obeyed the taller man and sat next to him, trying to look at anything except at his savior, forcing himself to calm down once more.

-And he didn't ask you to simply remember what was written in that book? Because if you did, killing you would be stupid. He said.

-I thought you knew Peter quite well. Of course he wouldn't have done it if I had known something. I couldn't understand what was written, I think Pan is the only one who could do it. I hoped there would be another way to find the information he wanted. Helping him is my only chance to save my sister, no matter what you think. John answered.

He bit his lip, afraid, because he knew it could serve the pirate better to just give him back to Peter Pan. Of course he still had to obey him as long as he had his sister and his brother with him, but having Pan thinking that John was dead would allow him to have a break, to run away, even if not from long, from the hell his life had become. Almost dying had made it obvious, even more than before, just how miserable his life was.

-Alright. It's getting late, and you look awfully tired, you'd better get some sleep. I'll let you stay here for the night. The other man said.

John smiled, thankful, as he laid on the bed, burying himself under the covers which helped him to get warm again.

-And you? Where are you going to sleep? He asked, not wanted to abuse of his generosity, because he knew all too well that everything on this damned island had a price.

-I won't sleep. I need to be ready to welcome Pan in case he decides to come and visit this ship. Hook stated before leaving the cabin, and it didn't help to make John's fears disappear.

However, just like Hook had just pointed out, he was too tired to keep thinking about that, and he quickly drifted into sleep, to dream of a world where he would have never went to Neverland, never met Peter Pan and where his family would be happy.

 

Hook had just went out of his cabin when Mr. Smee came to talk to him, worry on his face.

-Captain...

But Hook didn't let him any time to talk.

-I already know what you're going to tell me, just like last time with Baelfire. That it is to dangerous to keep him on board if Pan is looking for him. But it seems that Pan tried to kill him, and almost succeeded, so I don't think he will be looking for him any time soon. Even if he does, we could always say that we didn't know the boy was working for him. After all, he is an adult. He pointed out before walking away, not letting time to the other man to reply.

It kept him from hearing things he didn't want to know, and that Smee would have said if he had had the time. That the crew still remembered how he changed after he had given back that boy, Baelfire, to Pan and his Lost Boys. He would have also told him to be careful and to not get attached to John, because he hadn't seen his captain's eyes shine like that since Killian had lost Milah, a long time ago.

But Hook had never been a reasonable man, and a part of him really wanted to keep that young man he had found, like if he was some kind of precious treasure. He didn't know if it was because he was the first adult he had met since he had left the Enchanted Forest, but there was something about that boy that made him want to know him better.

And maybe the fact he had lost his family to Pan, just like Kilian had lost his, didn't leave him indifferent either.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!^^


End file.
